Immigration reform key to ag labor shortage

Published: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

While state lawmakers could help blunt the effects of a labor law affecting immigrant workers, a county official told a group of regional apple farmers Tuesday that federal immigration reform offers the best hope of solving their labor shortages.

Speaking before the Southeastern Apple Growers Association meeting in Asheville, Executive Director Mark Williams of Agribusiness Henderson County said local apple farmers should brace for full implementation of North Carolina's E-verify law in July, whether or not they think it'll affect their growing operations.

“This past year, the harvest (in Henderson County) wasn't so great and certainly the workers were still few,” Williams said. “So if we have a year where we have a full harvest, it's only going to get more challenging.”

State law already requires businesses with more than 500 employees to check the eligibility of workers against a U.S. Department of Homeland Security database, known as E-verify. Starting July 1, it will apply to those hiring 25 to 99 workers, a threshold more likely to affect county apple farms.

While the state exempted seasonal employees working fewer than 90 days a year, Williams counseled growers not to grow complacent.

“Don't get too warm and fuzzy and secure about that,” he said, because the federal E-verify law trumps the state's version and it doesn't exempt seasonal workers.

“Ultimately, the fix comes at the federal level,” Williams said.

In the meantime, he's “trying to influence any sort of suspension of the current (state E-verify) law, or anything just as a Band-Aid approach to get us over that hump. Because until that federal reform comes, we've still got to deal with state law.”

Williams said some Republicans in Congress seem to be re-positioning themselves on immigration reform, pointing to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's plan to raise the number of visas for seasonal farm laborers.

“He's gone on record now and he's ready to carry the torch for the Republican Party, who have taken a lot of heat for the stance that they took against the use of immigrant labor,” Williams said.

Combined with President Obama's pledge to ease visa requirements for immigrants with close relatives who are citizens, Williams said immigration reform could emerge from a “bringing-together of different parties.” He added that U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan have both pledged to help with farm labor shortages.

The American Farm Bureau, U.S. Apple Association and other farming groups have formed a new coalition to push an uncapped agricultural worker program, said Debbie Hamrick, director of specialty crops with the N.C. Farm Bureau.

The Agriculture Workforce Coalition is proposing a flexible visa program, Hamrick said. “At-will” laborers could move between farms for up to 11 months if they then return to their home country for 30 days, while contract employees could work up to a year (renewable indefinitely) if they return home for at least 30 days over a three-year period.

Growers should reach out to their elected officials about the need for immigration reform, Williams said, personalizing their plea with stories of lost workers and unrealized income. He also urged them to hire crews before July 1, treat laborers well, pool labor resources with other growers and consider operational changes that reduce labor needs.

Williams said apple pickers are in short demand for many reasons: an aging and more educated U.S. population, welfare programs, limited affordable housing, competition for workers among farmers and non-agricultural employers, improved economic conditions in Mexico and government crackdowns on illegal immigrants.

To illustrate how times have changed, he used a PowerPoint slide showing the Historic Depot on 7th Avenue.

“Years ago, those of you from Henderson County know that if you needed labor, you just drove down 7th Avenue and said, ‘I need four or five guys,' and generally they were there and ready to work,” Williams said. “That's not the case anymore.”

Agriculture generates $400 million for Henderson County's economy, he said, employing 8,152 people, or 17 percent of all county workers.

“Not all of that is apples, of course, but a big chunk of it is,” he said.

<p>While state lawmakers could help blunt the effects of a labor law affecting immigrant workers, a county official told a group of regional apple farmers Tuesday that federal immigration reform offers the best hope of solving their labor shortages. </p><p>Speaking before the Southeastern Apple Growers Association meeting in Asheville, Executive Director Mark Williams of Agribusiness Henderson County said local apple farmers should brace for full implementation of North Carolina's E-verify law in July, whether or not they think it'll affect their growing operations. </p><p>“This past year, the harvest (in Henderson County) wasn't so great and certainly the workers were still few,” Williams said. “So if we have a year where we have a full harvest, it's only going to get more challenging.”</p><p>State law already requires businesses with more than 500 employees to check the eligibility of workers against a U.S. Department of Homeland Security database, known as E-verify. Starting July 1, it will apply to those hiring 25 to 99 workers, a threshold more likely to affect county apple farms.</p><p>While the state exempted seasonal employees working fewer than 90 days a year, Williams counseled growers not to grow complacent. </p><p>“Don't get too warm and fuzzy and secure about that,” he said, because the federal E-verify law trumps the state's version and it doesn't exempt seasonal workers. </p><p>“Ultimately, the fix comes at the federal level,” Williams said.</p><p>In the meantime, he's “trying to influence any sort of suspension of the current (state E-verify) law, or anything just as a Band-Aid approach to get us over that hump. Because until that federal reform comes, we've still got to deal with state law.”</p><p>Williams said some Republicans in Congress seem to be re-positioning themselves on immigration reform, pointing to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's plan to raise the number of visas for seasonal farm laborers.</p><p>“He's gone on record now and he's ready to carry the torch for the Republican Party, who have taken a lot of heat for the stance that they took against the use of immigrant labor,” Williams said. </p><p>Combined with President Obama's pledge to ease visa requirements for immigrants with close relatives who are citizens, Williams said immigration reform could emerge from a “bringing-together of different parties.” He added that U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan have both pledged to help with farm labor shortages.</p><p>The American Farm Bureau, U.S. Apple Association and other farming groups have formed a new coalition to push an uncapped agricultural worker program, said Debbie Hamrick, director of specialty crops with the N.C. Farm Bureau.</p><p>The Agriculture Workforce Coalition is proposing a flexible visa program, Hamrick said. “At-will” laborers could move between farms for up to 11 months if they then return to their home country for 30 days, while contract employees could work up to a year (renewable indefinitely) if they return home for at least 30 days over a three-year period.</p><p>Growers should reach out to their elected officials about the need for immigration reform, Williams said, personalizing their plea with stories of lost workers and unrealized income. He also urged them to hire crews before July 1, treat laborers well, pool labor resources with other growers and consider operational changes that reduce labor needs.</p><p>Williams said apple pickers are in short demand for many reasons: an aging and more educated U.S. population, welfare programs, limited affordable housing, competition for workers among farmers and non-agricultural employers, improved economic conditions in Mexico and government crackdowns on illegal immigrants.</p><p>To illustrate how times have changed, he used a PowerPoint slide showing the Historic Depot on 7th Avenue.</p><p>“Years ago, those of you from Henderson County know that if you needed labor, you just drove down 7th Avenue and said, 'I need four or five guys,' and generally they were there and ready to work,” Williams said. “That's not the case anymore.”</p><p>Agriculture generates $400 million for Henderson County's economy, he said, employing 8,152 people, or 17 percent of all county workers. </p><p>“Not all of that is apples, of course, but a big chunk of it is,” he said.</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>